Popular MLB Matchups by comments- Monday, Nov 19th

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Starting pitching is reportedly a bigger concern for the New York Yankees than pursuing free-agent sluggers Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.

After the Bronx Bombers announced they acquired left-handed pitcher James Paxton in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the team is still interested in free agents Patrick Corbin and J.A. Happ.

Morosi also noted the Yankees "are placing a higher priority on adding one more starting pitcher than signing" either Harper or Machado despite the potent bat they each bring to the table.

SI.com: Drafting High School Pitchers Is a Major Problem for MLB, Health of Young Prospects

White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech threw 90 mph at age 14, 94 mph at 17, 99 mph at 21 and now not at all at age 22. The rookie right-hander blew out his elbow and will miss virtually all of next year while trying to come back from Tommy John surgery.

If you are even a little bit surprised, you haven't paid attention to what's happening with high school pitchers over the past decade. They keep throwing harder and harder--and in more competition. And major league teams keep wasting first round picks on 18-year-old kids who throw harder than major league pitchers, which is kind of like hitching a ride with a kid with a learner's permit behind the wheel of a Formula One racecar and hoping nothing goes wrong.

ESPN.com: Bryce, Manny, Corbin and more? What a Yankees spending spree could bring

It's been a miserable, wretched nine seasons in the Bronx. No World Series titles for the New York Yankees. No World Series appearances. The Yankees haven't finished in first place since 2012. That's six seasons in a row without a division title, which hasn't happened since the halcyon days of the rotation that featured Jeff Johnson, Tim Leary, Wade Taylor and Dave Eiland.

How bad has it been? The Orioles were the laughingstock of baseball after losing 115 games in 2018. The Orioles have won a division title more recently than the Yankees.

The New York Mets are not necessarily looking to tank the 2019 season if they trade starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard this winter.

Andy Martino of SNY.tv reported Monday that the team is thinking about trading Syndergaard and then replacing him with a major free agent on the open market. That would allow New York to recoup prospects for Syndergaard to build for its future while not taking a step back in the present.

The Mets would likely net massive return for Syndergaard, a 26-year-old power arm who does not reach unrestricted free agency until 2022.

The Cleveland Indians unveiled a new alternate home uniform option Monday.

The outfit includes a red jersey with blue script, as well as a blue cap with red script and bill.

2018 marked the final season Cleveland used its Chief Wahoo logo and the team does not plan to replace it with a new one for 2019. The Indians will continue wearing the block C on their baseball caps. A shoulder patch for the 2019 All-Star Game, which will be played at Progressive Field on July 9, will be added to the upcoming season's uniforms.

The gap between MLB contender and also-ran has never been wider, and as a result, we could be entering an age of MLB superteams similar to what's going on in the NBA right now.

The logic is simple: With fewer teams going all-in on contending, there is more talent available for the teams that are willing to spend money and prospect capital for a chance to win right now.

In the American League, the Boston Red Sox are fresh off a 108-win season and a World Series title, and while there are a few items on their offseason to-do list, they should enter 2019 in a great position to defend their title.

Awards season has come and gone, and now Major League Baseball teams are getting down to business of navigating the free agent market.

So far, the action has been slow, with few blockbuster trades.

The biggest free agents, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, are expected to receive some of the biggest contracts in baseball history with a number of teams will to shell out the cash to sign one of the top stars in the league.

Fans might have to wait until the Winter Meetings, which will be held next month in Las Vegas, to see the majority of deals that will take place.

SI.com: MLB Trade Rumors: Phillies Could Be In Play For Both Bryce Harper, Manny Machado

The action has been quite slow during the free agent period in Major League Baseball, but there are still plenty of rumors concerning the hot stove.

A slew of teams are in the market for starting pitching, both in free agency and on the trade market. But the news will be dominated by Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, each seeking deals over $300 million. With the Winter Meetings less than a month away, expect the rumor mill to pick up in the coming weeks.

ESPN.com: How the Phillies can be smart spending stupid amounts of money

The Thanksgiving turkeys aren't in the oven yet and we already possess the most evergreen quote of baseball's winter, courtesy of Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton. No matter what happens with the team over the next year -- good or bad -- these words will be revisited constantly.

As expected, the Miami Marlins in 2018 were a literal dumpster fire. The moribund Marlins took heavy damage inflicted on them by their opponents. Their ineptitude on the baseball diamond revealed their lack of offense and terrible pitching. Evidenced by their negative-220 runs over the course of the year, the team constantly found themselves not in holes but in cavernous canyons with no chance of making comebacks.

To add insult to injury, the Marlins watched as their former outfield trio--considered to be one of the best in baseball at the time--excel on their new squads. Christian Yelich finished the year with a .

Per Nightengale, Arizona has been "heavily" shopping Greinke. However, given the 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner has three years and $104.5 million remaining on his contract, the Diamondbacks may have to get creative in order to trade him.

Big name free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are still top of mind for most keeping up with the latest MLB trade rumors, but some other names are churning throughout the rumor mill during Hot Stove season.

Several teams will continue the unending pursuit of bulking up their bullpens, while several top-line starters could soon be available for those not in the Harper or Machado markets.

Here's all of the latest rumors and transactions around baseball:

* The Phillies are "expecting to spend money" in their pursuit of Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.

The most predictable non-political responses on twitter might occur whenever a baseball wart is noted. If you mention the rising rate of strikeouts, or the laborious pace of a World Series game, or a big contract signing, a chorus of followers will immediately chime in with: That's why baseball is dying.

There was that time they tried to send him to the Milwaukee Brewers for Ryan Braun in 2016. More recently, they offered him to the Washington Nationals for Bryce Harper in July, according to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.

If there's anything to be gleaned here, it's that the Dodgers are very much open to dealing their star right fielder as long as they get a better player back.

MLB Matchup Insights sorted by time

Price has been ever bit as good as Kershaw in the post season and not sure LA deserves to be -150 today. You simply can't bet LA at -150, so the only two options are Red Sox +130 or Dodger RL (-1.5) +150. I think it's a low scoring game so leaning Red Sox win and close it out tonight.

Nathan Eovaldi was originally expected to start for Boston tonight but he pitched in relief again in Game 3, the third time in three games this series, which rules him out for Game 4 tonight. Instead, the Red Sox figure to roll with Drew Pomeranz or Chris Sale on short rest. Rich Hill is expected to go for the Dodgers. He posted a 3.66 ERA during the regular season and he has only allowed 3 runs in 10 post season innings. I'm going to pick the Dodgers to win Game 4 because I don't trust Pomeranz and I don't trust short-rest Sale given his velocity issues since coming back from the DL. Dodgers win tonight 6-3.

I was all over Los Angeles in game one from a value standpoint as I thought Kershaw gave us a legitimate chance in that matchup. And game 2 unfolded about how we expected, I actually had Boston on the RL in game 2 which cashed. Tonight, Buehler has the edge over Porcello and it will be hard for the Red Sox to win 3 straight, but from from a sheer betting value perspective the only bet here is Boston +135, as you can't lay -160 odds with how hot the Red Sox are right now. I'll go out on a limb here and predict Boston Red Sox find a way to win game 3 and all but close this world series out.

agree with you, Dodgers has like 30-35% chance of winning but you have to pay -160 which is absurd. Even at -120 i would consider twice. You never know, its Boston , they do have the hitting power to sweep Dodgers , don't forget Red Sox went 4-1 , 4 winning streak against Astros. Are dodgers better than Astros? i doubt.

LA Times: David Freese may start for Dodgers in Game 3, even with right-hander Rick Porcello on mound for Red Sox

Through the first five months of the season, the Dodgers were a middling offense against left-handed pitchers. As a group, they ranked 19th in baseball with a .711 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. That mediocrity prompted the team to acquire David Freese, a veteran corner infielder.

In the final month of the season, as the Dodgers surged to their sixth consecutive National League West title, the offense was far more formidable against left-handed pitching. The team posted an .831 OPS against left-handers in September, which was third in baseball, and not far from the team's .860 OPS against right-handed pitchers that month.

The reasons why you will bet on Dodgers is because : 1. Red Sox pitchers can't bat. 2. Dodgers are at home. 3. Buehler. 4. Bounce. Still, -165 is just way too much for a team that has 30-35% to win against Red Sox. As for me, i will continue riding the Red Sox and with plus money? Hell yea! Bats seemed dead yesterday due to the cold, hopefully Friday night will be warm. BOL.

Nevermind my Winning rate profile, its almost impossible to reset it. Yesterday , like i said , Dodgers would of been a good bet but Kershaw sucks because he will load the bases : it did happen and Red Sox won. Today, Red sox will win again. Ryu is not better than Kershaw and he is shaky (even lost badly to Reds). After Price tasted the victory against Astros on Game 5, i think he will well perform today as well. If Dodgers will hit Price, the Red Sox will hit Ryu twice harder. No brainer. Red Sox ML and a bit in -1.5. Backers against Red Sox will tell you, it was like, that 3 run HR yesterday. BOL to all.

im sure dodgers will win 1 of the games at home otherwise, this is a 5 game series. No way more. I just can't think of a scary SP dodgers has that Red Sox cannot hit. Buehler? Ryu? Kershaw? Bring it on.

***LOS ANGELES +150*** Give me Kershaw tonight, Chris Sale reportedly isn't 100%, he has been experiencing shoulder problems and just got out of the hospital for stomach problems 10 days ago. In his last start against the Stro's he was in grind it out mode and fast ball was around 90-92mpg. Too many question marks around Sale tonight to lay -180, give me Kershaw all day at these prices.

I like dodgers with plus money and with the fact that they will play hard in 1st game but i'm not confident with Kershaw. He's a ace pitcher in regular season but the more he plays, the slower he pitches. Red Sox can easily hit him. He will load the bases at 2 outs and call to the bullpen.

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